Street Begging: The Case of the Bolgatanga Municipality ‎

Abstract

This study explored the issue of street begging in the Bolgatanga Municipality, the capital town of Upper East Region. The study shed light specifically on street begging and factors that motivate people to beg. Structured questionnaires were administered to 20 respondents from various public spaces using convenience sampling techniques. Semi-structured interviews as well as participant observation were tools used to collect primary data. The study found out that a majority of the beggars are non-Ghanaians from neighboring countries. Also, the issue of street begging is as a result of many factors including poverty, disability, religious affiliation, culture. The study recommends that to address the phenomenon of street begging in the Bolgatanga Municipality, local government and policy makers should focus on preventive and responsive interventions rather than curative and rehabilitative interventions. The study further recommends the scrutinization of the immigrants at the borders to make sure they have workable skills that will enable them gain employment and secure sources of livelihood.